This is the one hundred forty-first entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Another random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has dropped into view, placing itself between us and the sun. It’s VIRTUA BLINDS, by daffodil, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Keep light out, let light in

Whoa, that’s deep, man.

VIRTUA BLINDS labels itself as vaporware, rather than a game. Players are sat at a desk in front of a magnificent window, and are free to poke around and click on various things. Turn on the TV, and switch between the three available channels. Change the volume of the music that accompanies each. Look at various post-it notes that adorn the scene. Turn the desk lamp on, or off. Play with the MPC in the corner.

The highlight of the scene, of course, is the blinds. Venetian blinds, to be specific. Raise them. Lower them. Leave them partway down. Twist the rod on the left side to change the angle of the slats. As time passes, the sun rises in the sky, sending glorious shafts of light through the blinds, before passing out of direct view. Then the patch of sunlight slowly moves across the desk, before fading into a purple sunset. Outside the window is a vast ocean, still and serene. Where is this building in which we reside? Why is one of the TV channels a closed-circuit camera showing the very desk at which we sit? Who even are we? It is a mystery.

I kept half-expecting to find some secret within VIRTUA BLINDS. A clue, a hidden message, a means of escape from this desk. I even thought I might have found something, but it did not have any discernable effect. I concluded that VIRTUA BLINDS isn’t trying to be subversive, it isn’t hiding some secret horror twist. It’s just about relaxing by a window and watching the sun go past. Keep the light out, let the light in, indeed.

If you need a little time to chill out, and adjust the blinds just so, VIRTUA BLINDS is here to help. If you missed it in the bundle, it’s sold for a minimum price of $1.69, and includes versions for Windows, Mac and Linux.

That’s 141 down, and a cool 1600 to go!